Runners lace up for First Watch race

An expected 4,000 runners and walkers will hit the pavement for the seventh annual First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon March 11.

Participants of all ages and experience levels will travel from all over the country and Canada to compete and raise money for charities, including Community Haven, Sarasota Area Sports Authority, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Leukemia Lymphoma Society and others.

The Sarasota Observer caught up with three runners who hope to cross the finish line this Sunday.

Alan Thwaits: The barefoot runner

Residence: Mississauga, Canada; Age: 63
Alan Thwaits has seen his share of adversity. In 2005, while participating in an ultra-distance cycling event, he was run over by a truck. The accident broke his hip, and the surgeries left him with a long recovery, including 14 months of therapy. To make matters worse, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

At the suggestion of his therapist, Thwaits tried to recover beyond mere functionality. He wanted to return to running but found it too difficult at first, so he started out walking for short durations. By 2007, after months of therapy, he was able to run short distances at a time.

“I rediscovered my love of running,” Thwaits said. “Being able to run again felt as though I had reclaimed something that had been taken away from me. Being able to get out and move myself through the world gave me an incredible sense of freedom ... ”

In 2009, after a dissatisfying marathon, Thwaits decided to try something new.

“I decided to run around the block barefoot,” he said. “It was something I had been reading about, and I was amazed at the feeling. It was almost like a brand new beginning to running.”

Roger Fanning: The football star

Residence: Milton, Wis.; Age: 46
It’s hard to believe that a former college football player who can run a half marathon in less than two hours used to avoid running at all costs, but, for Roger Fanning, it doesn’t seem like that long ago that he hated running.

“It’s true,” Fanning says with a laugh. “I quit the high school basketball team because I didn’t want to run anymore.”

Things are different today. Fanning admits he’s hooked on running, but his transformation into a jogging junkie wasn’t easy.

After suffering several injuries and undergoing several knee surgeries and a back surgery, the former University of Wisconsin Platteville football player found himself at the heaviest he’d been in his life.

“I was 315 pounds, and I was on medication for my blood pressure and cholesterol for two years before I thought to myself, ‘This is stupid,’” Fanning said. “I just got tired of being big old me.”

Fanning started out walking and eventually progressed to running.

“I live out in the country, so I would try to run from fence post to fence post, and then walk to the next one,” he said. “It was actually kind of ridiculous. I would do it really early in the morning so nobody would see me.”

Now, Fanning is gearing up for his third half marathon, and hopes to finish with a 1:50 time, which averages out to about an eight-and-a-half-minute mile. The biggest struggle that still remains for Fanning is maintaining a healthy diet.

“Putting down the fork is the hardest part,” he said. “Believe it or not, exercise is the fun part, now.”

Teri Stabler: The first-timer

Residence: Sarasota; Age: 48
In October 2010, Teri Stabler decided her health was out of control. She was struggling with her weight and taking several medications for diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure.

“I joined a gym and met with a trainer — I hadn’t been to a gym since the ’80s,” Stabler said. “They did all the usual tests, and the results weren’t easy to hear. I left that meeting in tears, but it was a serious wake-up call for me.”

Stabler began running as a part of her gym membership. “I started with just some minor treadmill stuff, and I loved it,” she said. “Then, I started running longer distances on the street, and my friends suggested I try the Ringling Bridge Run. That was my first race.”

Since joining the gym, Stabler has participated in two Ringling Bridge runs, several 5Ks and even completed a Tough Mudder competition. She’s lost 65 pounds, has her diabetes under control and is more confident than ever. She admits she’s a little nervous for her first half marathon, but she knows she has trained well. Above all else, Stabler is happy with the changes she’s made in the last few years.

“My clothes fit, I feel like I can breathe again, and I just feel healthier,” she said. “I’m 48, I’m a grandma, and I feel great. I want to be around for my granddaughter.”

By the Numbers
7 — number of countries represented in the 2012 First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon
40 — number of police officers along the course
47 — number of states represented
225 — number of volunteers
2,800 — number of muffins on hand for the race
3,000 — gallons of water available at the race